Do You Buy Your Groceries From Big Companies or Small?

Do You Buy Your Groceries From Big Companies or Small?

Food companies have consolidated; only a few control most of our food supply. I went over a recent grocery list to see how many of the products I buy come from large companies. I've defined a "big" company as one that either appears on this list of
top 100 food processors
, or I've included other relevant information to determine a company's size. Big companies are bolded. Here's what I discovered:

It's also important to note that "small" or "private" does not necessarily equate with benevolent and well-meaning.
[Addendum, Jan. 27, 2011: I also should have said that big doesn't necessarily mean bad.]

Ellen Tarlin is a former Slate copy chief and writer of the "Clean Plate" blog. Her essays have appeared in the Boston Globe, the Boston Phoenix, Brooklyn Bridge, Bark, and the RISK storytelling podcast. Follow her on Twitter.